Multirate cochlear stimulation strategy and apparatus
First Claim
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1. A cochlear implant prosthesis for delivering to a recipient'"'"'s cochlea stimulation pulses representing a received audio signal, comprising:
- a processor configured to process electrical signals corresponding to the received audio signal to produce a plurality of filtered signals having different center frequencies;
a plurality of amplitude detectors each configured to produce a magnitude signal dependent on the magnitude of one of said filtered signals;
a plurality of pulse requestors each configured to produce a pulse request signal dependent on a periodicity of one of said filtered signals;
a pulse generator configured to produce stimulation pulses at time instants dependent on said pulse request signals, with the magnitude of said stimulation pulses dependent on said magnitude signals; and
a plurality of electrodes for delivering said stimulation pulses to the recipient'"'"'s cochlea.
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Abstract
A cochlear implant system in which information about the periodicity of a received audio signal in each filter channel is used as a factor in determining the rate of stimulation applied to a tonotopically placed electrode corresponding to the relevant filter channel. As such, the stimulation rate for each electrode is related to the periodicity of the signal in the filter channel corresponding to that electrode. This may allow for improved perception of pitch by the implant recipient.
21 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A cochlear implant prosthesis for delivering to a recipient'"'"'s cochlea stimulation pulses representing a received audio signal, comprising:
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a processor configured to process electrical signals corresponding to the received audio signal to produce a plurality of filtered signals having different center frequencies; a plurality of amplitude detectors each configured to produce a magnitude signal dependent on the magnitude of one of said filtered signals; a plurality of pulse requestors each configured to produce a pulse request signal dependent on a periodicity of one of said filtered signals; a pulse generator configured to produce stimulation pulses at time instants dependent on said pulse request signals, with the magnitude of said stimulation pulses dependent on said magnitude signals; and a plurality of electrodes for delivering said stimulation pulses to the recipient'"'"'s cochlea. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for delivering to a recipient'"'"'s cochlea stimulation pulses representing a received audio signal, comprising:
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processing electrical signals corresponding to the received audio signal to produce a plurality of filtered signals having different center frequencies; producing a plurality of magnitude signals each representative of the magnitude of one of said plurality of filtered signals; producing one or more pulse request signals each depending on a periodicity of one of said plurality of filtered signals; producing stimulation pulses at time instants dependent on said one or more pulse request signals, with a magnitude of said stimulation pulses dependent on said magnitude signals; and delivering said stimulation pulses to the recipient'"'"'s cochlea. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification